1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to swimming pools and systems for cleaning debris from the water contained within swimming pools. The present invention relates more specifically to a compact device for skimming the water surface of a swimming pool in order to efficiently collect and remove floating debris from the water in the pool.
2. Description of the Related Art
All swimming pools, both smaller residential pools and larger public or institutional swimming pools, require a significant amount of maintenance in order to provide a safe, enjoyable, and hygienic swimming experience to the users of the pool. Swimming Pool maintenance efforts primarily include the circulation and filtration of the water contained in the pool, and the maintenance of the proper levels of chemicals (such as chlorine) designed to eliminate the growth of bacteria, algae, and other undesirable organisms. While most pool water circulation systems include some level of debris filtration, their primary objective is to prevent stagnation within the water through aeration and to maintain the appropriate levels of chemical additives. Most swimming pool water circulation systems are not structured to adequately collect and remove the larger bits of debris that almost always find their way into the swimming pool from the surrounding environment (from vegetation and the like).
There have been many efforts in the past to design systems that are directed to the removal of larger objects of debris from the surface of the water within a swimming pool and/or from within the entire volume of the swimming pool water. Most objects of debris that find their way into a swimming pool are generally airborne and, being less dense than water, will typically float on top of the surface of the pool water, as they primarily comprise leaves, sticks, grass clippings, and other bits of paper, trash, or other organic material. Most of the systems designed and developed to remove this debris from the pool therefore focus on that part of the debris that floats at or near the surface of the pool.
Most efforts in the past have therefore focused on devices and systems for skimming the debris off the surface of the water within the confined walls of the swimming pool without the removal of water from the pool at the same time. Generally, these prior efforts fall into one of three categories: (1) hand manipulated screens that may be directed across the surface of the water in the pool while the user (or users) stands on the edge of the pool; (2) screening devices designed to be incorporated into the side of the pool in association with a flow of water through the pool's circulation system; and/or (3) floating devices that move about the surface of the water in the pool and collect debris into any of a number of different nets or filters. Efforts have therefore been made in the past to provide skimmers that are hand manipulated for use by an individual walking around the perimeter of the pool, as well as systems that are fixed in position on the side of the pool as part of the swimming pool water circulation system.
A typical example of a hand manipulated pool skimmer is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,632,604 issued to Kirchoff entitled Pool Skimmer which describes the use of an elongated pole handle and at least one skimming net assembly. The pole handle has opposite proximal and distal ends and each skimming net assembly includes an open frame and a net screen. The open frame defines a central opening which net material is fixed across. One end of the open frame is pivotally coupled to the distal end of the pole handle. The other end of the open frame is adapted for detachable attachment to the end portion of the open frame of another skimming net assembly. The Kirchoff patent therefore describes a device that includes a long two-handled set of netted hoops that one or more individuals may move across the surface of the pool to collect debris. The device does not lend itself to easy use by a single individual and does not serve to collect the debris in a single compact location.
A floating skimmer type device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,074 issued to Sermons entitled Leaf Skimmer for Pools. This patent discloses a cleaning device for swimming pools that has a floating member that is positioned on the surface of the water in the pool adjacent to and upstream of a water circulation drain for the pool. Attached to the floating member is a net immersed in the water for collecting debris in the proximity of the drain. The floating member is preferably tethered to the side of the pool so as to be easily removable at pre-determined intervals for dumping the debris. The Sermons patent discloses a system that does include the semi-permanent attachment of an anchor to the side of the pool, but relies upon the directed circulation flow of the pool water into the drain element already positioned on and incorporated into the side of the pool. The system would function poorly if it was not specifically positioned in association with a circulation drain.
Two additional prior disclosures, U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,660 issued to Lourie et al. entitled Swimming Pool Skimmer, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,135 issued to MacPhee et al. entitled Swimming Pool Cleaner, each describe rigid rectangular structures that are designed to be moved or manipulated by two individuals positioned on either side of the swimming pool simultaneously. The McPhee et al. patent describes the use of a net that may be completely or partially rolled up with one of the side members of the frame for storage. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,767 issued to Beers entitled Swimming Pool Skimming Apparatus is directed to the removal of debris from the water surface of swimming pools and comprises a buoyant tube arrayed along its entire length with a fibrous absorbent material affixed to each of the extreme ends of the tube. The skimming apparatus may be swept across the pool and then wound with one end inside the other until the inner circle has been reduced to a diameter of two or three feet. Although the Beers patent describes a device does a better job of concentrating the debris for removal, it still relies upon a wide area floating component that is difficult to reduce in size and store when not in use.
A number of additional prior U.S. patents disclose single ended hand manipulated mechanisms that are either moved about the perimeter of the pool or are pivoted about a point of attachment on the side of the pool to collect debris. These types of devices are typified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,858 issued to Soto et al. entitled Device for Cleaning the Surface of the Body of Water in a Pool; U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,020 issued to Gronlund entitled Swimming Pool Skimmer; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,830 issued to Huppert entitled Stationary Skimming Device for a Swimming Pool.
None of the efforts made in the prior art disclose the use of a compact net that may be extended across the pool surface and progressively moved about the pool in order to gather debris to a single location. It would be desirable to have a system that, when not in use, was compactly stored in a convenient position on or near the edge of the pool in a manner such that it is immediately ready for use at any time. It would be desirable if such a system allowed for the extension of the collection net out from its stored placement in a manner such that, with a single movement, and by a single user, it would be capable of collecting most all of the debris floating on the surface of the swimming pool into a single location, where it could be then be easily removed from the pool. It would be desirable if such a system would allow for the easy extension and retraction of the collection net out from and into a compact storage configuration, and concurrently provided a means for cleaning the collection net of the debris to prevent it from clogging the stored net system.